Tuukka Taponen delivered a breakthrough performance at the 2025 F3 Hungarian GP, securing his first Feature Race podium of the season with a determined P3 finish.
Racing for ART Grand Prix and representing the Ferrari Driver Academy, the Finnish rookie mastered a drying Hungaroring to fend off late challenges from some of the category’s most experienced drivers. The result marked an important step forward in his debut campaign, achieved at one of the most technically demanding circuits on the calendar.
The Hungaroring, often dubbed “Monaco without the walls” due to its tight, twisty layout, presented an added complication — a wet track that slowly began to dry during the race, forcing drivers to judge grip levels corner by corner.
A milestone without shock value
For Taponen, the result was pleasing but not unexpected. The 18-year-old has been knocking on the door of the podium all season, with two previous P4 finishes hinting at his potential.
While speaking to the media after the F3 Feature Race at the 2025 Hungarian GP, Taponen said, “Obviously I need to be happy for that, but I’m not celebrating massively because I knew it’s been there waiting for me. And I have had a couple of P4’s this year earlier on, so it’s not a surprise I would say, but happy to have finally podium on Sunday as well.”
Managing the pace under pressure
While the result was satisfying, Taponen admitted that it was not a dominant performance. The Finn found himself managing defensive lines rather than chasing down the race leaders, particularly as the track conditions evolved in the final laps.
“I didn’t really have the pace. I managed to hold them behind, but it was never easy. At some point I was starting to think that we were going to need to do a pit stop. Because it started to be sunny, and I started to see some dry spots on the track.”
At the Hungaroring, overtaking is notoriously difficult in the dry — let alone in mixed conditions — but rivals on the charge in the closing stages meant there was no room for error.
Tyre strategy in changing conditions
The evolving weather posed a strategic dilemma. As the track dried, the temptation to switch from wet tyres to slicks grew. However, the lap times told a different story.
“But anyway, slicks were never quicker than the wet tyres. So luckily, the conditions were not as bad as in Spa, and we were able to able to drive this as a proper wet race.”
Hungary’s slower-speed corners and shorter straights mean that in damp conditions, slicks often take too long to heat up. Taponen and ART’s decision to stay on wets proved correct, enabling him to defend his position without the risk of a costly pit stop.
Qualifying holds the key to success
Taponen was candid about why it has taken until round nine of the season to secure a F3 Feature Race podium in 2025 — Qualifying execution. In F3, with grids often separated by less than a second, a small mistake in qualifying can mean starting deep in the midfield, where progress is notoriously difficult.
“We have done a decent job to be able to qualify well, and that helps obviously for the race. The only problem the last couple of weekends has been being able to put the lap in on the last set of tyres in qualifying.”
Why the final Qualifying run matters
Taponen explained that the final run in Qualifying is often decisive due to improving track conditions, lighter fuel loads, and the driver’s increasing familiarity with the circuit grip.
“The last set of tyres matters so much in this Championship, because you get a better track, you get less fuel, so you always improve the lap time. You get also better feeling with the car as a driver.”
In a tightly matched field, even a one-tenth improvement can mean gaining several places on the grid — a fact not lost on the ART camp this season.
Turning the corner in Budapest
Recent Qualifying sessions had seen Taponen unable to deliver that final, critical lap. At the Hungaroring, however, he finally pieced it together, setting a strong time that placed him in the thick of the podium fight from the start.
“So last three weekends, I have not been able to complete that last push, and that’s why the qualifying result has been so bad. This weekend, I managed to do it, and that P3 is completely where we should be. And again, that’s not a surprise. It might look like a surprise because the last few weekends have been very bad, but we know clearly what the issue has been.”
The improvement in qualifying not only put him in position to capitalise but also boosted confidence within the ART garage ahead of the final round.
Looking ahead to Monza
With Budapest’s podium now secured, Taponen’s attention turns to Monza — the legendary high-speed temple of Italian motorsport. Known for its long straights and slipstream battles, qualifying at Monza can be chaotic as drivers jostle to secure the perfect tow.
“We are gonna need to keep in mind Monza is probably going to be a big mess with finding good track position for Qualifying. No one who wants to lead the back and go alone, because if you go alone, it’s just very difficult to get pole position or even a top five.”
Despite the lengthy summer break ahead, the ART driver is already strategising how to avoid the traffic traps that often define Monza’s qualifying sessions.
Victory the target in season finale
The aim for the finale is clear — convert strong Qualifying into a shot at victory. For Taponen, Budapest’s P3 is not the end of the journey but a stepping stone towards standing on the top step.
“Winning the Feature Race is our target. Now we had the podium, and we will try and do the job in qualifying again, put the car as high as possible, and then we’ll see on Sunday how it goes.”
If his form at the 2025 Hungarian GP is any indication, Taponen could well end his F3 rookie year with a win — and with it, send a strong message to the paddock ahead of 2026.
